... the chain says it’s dropping
the alternative protein products at thousands of Canadian locations, just three
months after introducing them... “I see this as bad news for Beyond Meat,
absolutely, because it may taint the brand in Canada. Tim Hortons is no small
player” ...

·Tim Hortons retreats from Beyond

... “We are always listening to
our guests and testing a wide variety of products across the country,” a Tim
Hortons representative said via email Wednesday...

·Tim Hortons phasing out Beyond Meat products in most provinces

... On an Aug. 2 conference call
with analysts, Jose Cil, chief executive officer of Tim Hortons parent company
Restaurant Brands International Inc., indicated that the products may not be on
the chain’s menu for the long term...

Apparently, Beyond Meat burgers don’t go that well with
Tim Hortons coffee, as the chain says it’s dropping the alternative protein
products at thousands of Canadian locations, just three months after
introducing them.

The vegetable-based Beyond Burgers are being taken off
menus nationally, while Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches will be removed from
all locations except in B.C. and Ontario, where a “positive reaction” means
customers can continue to enjoy them, the company says.

The decision isn’t surprising given Tim’s core expertise
at selling coffee and baked goods but it’s a black eye for the California-based
manufacturer of Beyond Meat, said Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food
distribution and policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax.

“I see this as bad news for Beyond Meat, absolutely,
because it may taint the brand in Canada. Tim Hortons is no small player,” he
said in an interview.

The Tim Hortons’ decision, apparently made based on sales
volumes, might indicate that Beyond Meat is reaching a saturation level in
Canada after being embraced by A&W restaurants and widely offered in retail
grocery stores, he said.

“We are always listening to our guests and testing a wide
variety of products across the country,” said Jane Almeida, a spokeswoman for
Tim’s parent Restaurant Brands International Inc., in an email confirming the
withdrawal.

“Like any limited-time offer, we may explore offering the
product again in other provinces at a future date based on ongoing guest feedback.”

The company announced in May it would test its three
Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches at some stores.

In June, it said those products would be rolled out in
all of its almost 4,000 Tim Hortons restaurants nationwide and, in July, it
announced it would offer Beyond Burgers as well...

Tim Hortons is dialing back its Beyond Meat marketing in
Canada and will keep the plant-based meat substitute on its sandwich menus in
Ontario and British Columbia alone.

The coffee-and-donut chain, an arm of Toronto-based
Restaurant Brands International and Canada’s biggest fast-food chain by number
of outlets, first test-marketed breakfast sandwiches with the U.S. company’s
plant-based patties in select stores in May.

Tim’s at the time pledged a “national rollout by the end
of the summer” for the sandwiches if the tests “confirm the potential for the
platform.”

The chain’s Beyond Meat Breakfast Sandwiches, with Beyond
Breakfast Sausage patties, went national in Tim’s nearly 4,000 Canadian outlets
in June, followed by a nationwide rollout for Beyond Burgers on Tim’s lunch and
dinner menu in July.

This week, however, the chain described its nationwide
introductions of Beyond Burgers and Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches as “a
limited time offer.”

“We are always listening to our guests and testing a wide
variety of products across the country,” a Tim Hortons representative said via
email Wednesday.

“We have particularly seen positive reaction to our
Beyond Meat offering in Ontario and B.C., especially in breakfast, and are
proud to offer both alternatives in those regions.”

That said, Tim Hortons added it “may explore offering the
product again in other provinces at a future date based on ongoing guest
feedback.”

"The Beyond Burger will still be available for a
limited time nationally. The Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches are available in
various regions while supplies last, but will continue to be available in B.C.
and Ontario," a spokesperson for Tim Hortons said via email.

The coffee-and-doughnut chain says it has seen a
“particularly positive” reception to the meatless menu items in Ontario and
B.C. The company also notes the products were limited time offers, and may be
reintroduced in the future depending on customer feedback.

Tim Hortons rolled out Beyond Meat breakfast sandwiches
nationally in June, and the plant-based burgers were added in July.

On an Aug. 2 conference call with analysts, Jose Cil,
chief executive officer of Tim Hortons parent company Restaurant Brands
International Inc., indicated that the products may not be on the chain’s menu
for the long term...